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- Davenport (or The Davenport Family, now known as Second Family Band) is a musical collective from Madison, Wisconsin. The project was initiated by Clay Ruby in 2002. Their musical style, difficult to categorize, owes more to freeform jazz, psychedelic rock, and experimental avant-garde music than to traditional folk music, and may be loosely attributed to such genres as free folk, psych folk, freak-folk, acid folk, wyrd folk or New Weird America. The Davenport Family name existed actively until 2005, all original members still participate in the band, which now operates (apparently even releasing music that was recorded previous to the name change) under the name Second Family Band. The recordings and performances usually include varying combinations of drums and other percussion, guitars, vocals, synthesizers, piano, organs, violins, flutes, electronics, sound sculpture, field recordings, more synths, sitar, sticks, rocks, stones and really anything imaginable. Ranging from mildly sedative to tribal and bombastic. Their music is almost always improvised, with a rare exception of overdubbing and other studio composed manipulations, especially in the early days of the group. The group is noted for usually shunning the recording studio, preferring field recording in locations such as barns, caves, or pastures. Consequently, environmental sounds such as dogs barking, birds singing, and other ambient noise may be heard on record. The group was unusually prolific in terms of number of titles released in the first years of their career, but most (though not all) of their records were pressed in small runs of limited availability on CDR's lathe cut records and cassettes. Many of these titles were recordings of live actions or intimate recordings of family rituals. In 2005 "Free Country" CD was released by Last Visible Dog marking their first official studio album. "Free Country" was soon followed by the infamously cursed self-titled Davenport Family LP on Not Not Fun Records. Which featured half studio and half live workings. Just preceding "Free Country" was an unusual recording experiment that Clay Ruby conducted alone on a handheld recording device with a broken erase-head. This meant Ruby could overdub continuously onto what he had previously recorded but he was unable to monitor anything while actually recording. This resulting cassette, filled with fractured folk songs and environmental psychedelia became "Rabbits Foot Propellor" CD on Three Lobed Recordings. Their very last jam under the name "Davenport" was performed on Walpurgis 2005, Clay Ruby's birthday, and released by Meudiademorte in October 2006 on a one sided C70 cassette called "At The Foot Of Zodiac Mountain". Between 2005 and 2007 the group attempted several name changes and side projects including Zodiac Mountain, All Do Gather, Orthodox Blood Orchestra, and finally settled on a new arrangement under the name Second Family Band. Since 2007, the band has been releasing all their music under the name Second Family Band, which continues to document the improvised musical rituals of this loose-knit community. Clay Ruby is present on all of the Davenport Family recordings with a revolving lineup of members. Since reforming under the name Second Family Band, the band is operating regardless of line-up. Though Clay Ruby is intimately involved with the band, no single member's presence is required for every Second Family jam session. Over the years, Davenport/Second Family has included Billy Lee (aka Lliam Ian, Crystal Dragon, Wormsblood), T Endless, Nico Kain, Clay Ruby, Woodman (Drunjus), Theresa Behnen, Tyler Olsen, Jonathan Matthews, Clay Kolbinger, Lyx Ish, db Pedersen, DMS (Craig Microcassette System), Nic Stage, Karen Eliot, John Gould, Justin May, Jon Stage, Jerod Annoye, Beau Devereaux (Anvil Dome), Andy Knacker, Jessica Non Popa, Aaron Laurant, Corey Bushcott, Azrael Zanon-Stage, David Libert, JoAnne Powers, Sven Bolan, Smith Baker, Ivan Calderon, Daeve Ross, Richard Remington, Cyrus Andreas, Jacob Tibbs, Nick Johnson, Kelly Shippey, Dave 3000, Ivan Mairesse, Max Elliott, Mike Schultz, Johnny Danielson, as well as collaborations with friendly outsiders such as: Peaking Lights, Spiral Joy Band, the Skaters, Tomutonttu, Jooklo Duo, Glenn Donaldson, Lau Nau, Maths Balance Volumes, Hush Arbors, Absinthe Minds, Relentless Corpse, Islaja, Wooden Wand and the Vanishing Voice, Mumber Toes, Nautical Almanac (band), Anla Courtis, Cult of Hypnos and Takuri Tali.
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